1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which is used in a scanning cytometer. The scanning cytometer irradiates a cell population including a number of dispersed cells with a scanning laser beam, and performs an image processing on a fluorescence image obtained based on fluorescence emitted by the cell population, thereby analyzing the cells in the image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a cytometry has been widely used to investigate a transition process of a cancer cell and the like. In the cytometry technique, a laser beam irradiates a cell population including a number of dispersed cells so that a fluorescence image is obtained and the features and the properties of the cells are analyzed. A flow cytometer is known as a method of obtaining a fluorescence intensity from a cell population. In the flow cytometry technique, suspended cells each of which is isolated are jetted through to be exposed to laser irradiation. This flow cytometry technique allows obtaining only a fluorescence intensity for each isolated cell. So this technique has disadvantages that it cannot obtain the fluorescence image of the cell and a recall observation in which the same cell is again observed cannot be performed. As a method to overcome the disadvantages, the technique of a scanning cytometer is disclosed, in which a laser beam scans over a glass slide to obtain a fluorescence image with a cell population statically disposed on the glass slide (See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H3-255365, for example).